Game apparatus



April 2, 1957 w, GLOVER 2,787,469

GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1955 FIG.

I JNVENTOR. WJLLIAM D. GLOVER B FIG. 2.

ATTORNEY United States Patent APPARATUS William D. Glover, snaiiom', Pa. Applicationiebruary s, 1955, Serial No.'486,874 4Clain1s. Cl. 273-434 This invention relates to indoor games and more particularly to the type of game utilizing a board and counters or men which are moved about the board in turn and in correspondence with the indicia of any selected control means or indicator, such as dice, spinners, cards, etc.

The main objective of the invention is the provision of a novel parlor game for two, threeor four players having substantial amusement or recreational value and combining with it elements of skill serving to develop the players powers of concentration and analysis.

Other objectives and advantagesof the invention will be pointed out in or will be apparent from the following description, utilizing the accompanying drawings, in which: I V

Figure l is a plan view ofthe game-board used in one embodiment of the invention showing the physical layout and arrangement thereof; I

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a suitable form of counters or men for use in conjunction with the gameboard of the invention,- and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a deck of playing cards for use in conjunction with the game-board of Figure 1 and the counters or men of Figure 2.

The game' board 10' may be of any suitable size and of any suitable material: having appropriate stiffness and wear-resistance, and may be made foldable' as desired. The board illustrated in- Figure 1 is in the shape of a square and has acorrespondingly square-shaped outer playing field boundary 11, although any other shape for the board or playingaremsuchas oblong, circle, diamond, etc., consistent: with layout requirements, may beselected as desired. The layout and arrangement of the playing field in the embodiment of the invention specifically illustrated herein: is also shown in Figure 1, which is appropriate to the square shape thereof, but can, of course, be modified to conform with another selected shape as above indicated. The board is planned to provide peripherally thereof four separate and equal areas of play, differing from each other only by distinguishing colors, the peripheral activity of each player being confined to one such area, and centrally thereof areas of play usedby all players in common. Generally speaking, the peripheral areas are starting and bonus areas while the central areas are penalty and finishing areas, as will be more fully described hereinafter. Setting off the central areas from the peripheral areas is square 12 which isconcentric with and has its sides disposed re-' spectively parallel to the sides of boundary 11. The. space between square 12 and boundary 11, making up the peripheral areas of play, is completely divided into a plurality of small squares 13 equal in area and arranged in rows respectively parallelling the sides of square 12 and boundary 11. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 the positional and size relationships of boundary 11, square 12 and squares 13 is such that six rows of squares 13 separate a side 14 of square 12 from the nearest parallel side of boundary 11,

2,787,469 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 that the outermost row of squares 13' abutting. each: side of boundary 11 contains twenty-six of squares 13, and that a side of square 12 is fourteen times the length of a side of squares 13; The peripheral area thus divided into squares 13 is separated'into four eq'ualpartsby lines 15 joiningthe-midpoints' of sides i square 12 'resp'eetivelyto the midpoints: of the nearest parallel sides of boundary 11, and the separate areas sodefined are identi= fied by distinguishingcolors as indicated in Figure 1) The small square 13 in the corner ofeachv ofthese areas is designated as the Start square, and arrows along the sides of boundary 1 1 pointing away from such corner along either side indicate the directions in which moves may be made, as more fully described hereinafter. Twenty-one of the other squares 13 in each ofthe four separate peripheral areas are designated as bonus squares, symbolized in Figure l by one or the other of the twenty honor cards and jokers in a conventional deck 30 of playing cards containing fifty-four cards including two jokers. These bonus squares form an identical pattern positionwise in each of said four separate peripheral areas, having a function to be described below.

Circle 16 is inscribed in square 12, and a plurality of smaller circles, numbering four, 17, 18, 19, and 20, in the illustrated embodiment, concentric with circle 16", and each having a radiussmaller than that ofthe next larger circle by a length generally approximating the side of a square 13, are marked off therein. This series of centrally situated concentric circles form four'circular closed pathways around the center of thebo'ard- 10, which are identified in turn in the illustrated embodiment by the designations, starting. with the" path formed by circles 16 and 17, and moving inwardly: Move on anynumbered card; Move on any Even numbered car-d Move only on Odd Red cards; and Move on Even Diamond's. Lines 15' which divide the peripheral areas into four separate parts are extended inwardly to the circumference of circle 20, thus also dividing the four circular pathways into four separate and equal parts or quadrants each of which is separately colored to correspond with the coloring of the one ofthe four peripheral areas in the opposite corner of the board from it'.- Additional radial lines 21 are drawn between the circumfefi ences of circles 20' and 16 to accomplish the division of each of the four circular pathways transversely into twenty equal spaces 22, five of such spaces falling within eachof the quadrantsseparately colored as above.- The middle one of spaces 22 in each quadrant of the pathway formed by circles 16- and 17 bears a diamond shaped marker 23', the use of which will be described below,

Central area 24 enclosedby circle 20, andthe four corner areas 25 of square 12 falling outside of circle 16 may be colored so as to distinguish them from any of the colored areas described above. Corner areas 25 may be inscribed with legends such as Pay for spades, Beware of spades, or the like, as indicated, the purpose of which will appear below. Central area 24 may contain any desired design and may include a name or distinctive mark as desired, etc. Preferably thegame board 10 is of suflicient size that central area 24 willbe large enough to accommodate a deck of standard size playing cards and a discard pile.

Figure 2 simply shows a type of counter or man 26, similar to a checker, which may be used with the board above described. Four of such men are illustrated, each with a different color to correspond with one of the four colors of the separate peripheral areas on the gameboard 10. Shapes, sizes, materials, etc'., for these men can of course be varied widely.

Briefly illustrative of the use of the foregoing: Each player takes five men having the same color as that of the peripheral area in front of him and to his right. A

conventional deck of playing cards having two jokers is placed in central area 24 face down. Players may cut for first play. Each player commences his turn by turning the top card face up in a discard pile. The card so drawn, if it is a card numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, prescribes the number of moves allotted to the player in his turn and he must take all of these' moves, but may divide them amongst his men in any manner he chooses. Men are entered upon each players own peripheral area at corner square 13 marked Start and may be moved in either direction indicated by the arrows, but not backward or diagonally. Of course, rules for direction of moves may be altered to modify the game as desired. From one square 13 to an adjacent square 13 constitutes a single move. As before indicated, each player is confined to the peripheral area of his own color designation, except to move into the central circle areas as hereinafter outlined. In moving his men about his designated peripheral area each player should strive to cover as many as possible of the squares 13 containing honor card or joker symbols, these being bonus squares. When any such bonus square is so covered and a card corresponding thereto is turned up in the play, points are scored by the player whose man covers such square. As play proceeds it is apparent that the longer men can be kept in the peripheral areas and covering bonus squares the greater is the opportunity to amass points in the manner prescribed. Ultimately however the men will have to be moved to the innermost rows of squares 13 bordering square 12 and can move from there only to the circular pathway formed by circles 16 and 17, entering such pathway through space bearing marker 23 nearest to the peripheral area from which the men are being moved. Men are moved about this pathway in either direction toward the quadrant bearing the same color as such men and the peripheral area from which they entered. This may be considered the home color of such men. Men are moved olf the board from their home color in such pathway, one move being counted for each man so moved otf, and points being scored for each man so finishing. When one player removes all his men from the board in such fashion the game ends and the player with the largest point score wins.

Movement of men in the outer circular pathway is controlled by any numbered card, as indicated in Figure l, similarly to movement in the peripheral areas. Additionally, in the circular pathways a player has the opportunity of slowing down his opponents by jumping their men, moves for doing so corresponding to checker moves. On being so jumped a man is forced into the next inner circular pathway in the corresponding space, movement becoming progressively more difficult as the innermost circle is approached, as indicated. In the inner pathways a man must be moved around to his home color before moving out. Movement from the inner pathways outward to the next larger circular pathway comprises one move and only one such move can be taken in a single turn. l

Any player having men in any of the circular pathways when a spade card is turned up is penalized by the deduction of points from his score in accordance with the number of his men in the various such pathways.

Counters or poker chips may be used for scoring as desired.

The above outline of a manner in which the game may be played has been kept very brief since it is obvious that the manner of play and the rules therefor may be varied over a wide range without departing from the use of the equipment contemplated by the invention. It is also evident that numerous variations and modifications in and to the equivalent itself can be made and will readily occur, all being within the scope of the invention. Suitably marked dice or a suitably designed spinner, etc., could readily be substituted for cards as the means for controlling movement of the men. Other bonus symbols corresponding with the particular control means selected could be substituted for the card symbols. Many modifications of the game-board itself will readily occur. Suitable shape, size, design, layout, coloring, etc., of the game-board and its play areas, pattern of bonus space layout, and penalty provisions, as well as the number of spaces into which these areas are divided, and combinations of the foregoing cover an almost infinite number of possibilities. Thus while one embodiment of the invention has been described and illustrated, it will be understood that the many possible modifications of the equipment, layout, manner of play, and rules therefor are equally within the contemplation and scope of the invention, this specification, and the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, I claim:

1. Game equipment including a gameboard having a playing field with a square shaped boundary containing a smaller square concentric therewith and oriented so that its sides are respectively parallel to the sides of the playing field boundary, the peripheral area between said boundary and said smaller concentric square being divided into four separate starting and bonus areas by medial lines joining the midpoints of corresponding sides of the boundary and the smaller concentric square, each of said starting and bonus area being subdivided into a plurality of squares uniformly arranged in rows paralleling respectively the sides of the boundary and the smaller concentric square, said squares in each of said starting and bonus areas being equal in number to the squares in each of the other said starting and bonus areas and corresponding in arrangement thereto, the square in each starting and bonus area at a corner of the playing field boundary bearing the legend Start, selected others less than all of said squares in each of said starting and bonus areas corresponding positionwise to similar squares in each of the other said starting and bonus areas bearing selected bonus symbols, each of said starting and bonus areas being colored differently from each of the other said starting and bonus areas, a circle inscribed in said smaller concentric square and a plurality of progressively smaller concentric circles drawn therein to form a composite penalty and finishing area having four corner areas and a plurality of closed concentric pathways and a central area, the medial lines dividing the peripheral area into said starting and bonus areas being extended inwardly to the circumference of the innermost of the said smaller concentric circles to divide said pathways into four separatequadrants, each such quadrant being colored differently from each of the other said quadrants to correspond with the color of the one of said starting and bonus areas positioned in the opposite quarter of the board from it, a plurality of additional radial lines subdividing each of said quadrants identically with each of the other said quadrants so as to subdivide the several concentric pathways into a plurality of segmental spaces equal in number to such spaces in each of the others of said pathways and corresponding positionwise thereto, a plurality of movable men adapted for movement upon the playing field and divided into four sets each of which sets is colored differently from each of the other sets to correspond with the color of a dilferent one of said starting and bonus areas and its corresponding pathway quadrant, each of said concentric pathways bearing a selected restrictive legend different from that of each of the other pathways, said legends being progressively more restrictive from pathway to pathway proceeding inwardly, said corner areas bearing selected penalty legends, and a pack of playing cards for indicating the extents of the movements of said men on the playing field and having cards severally corresponding to said selected bonus symbols and restrictive and penalty legends, said central area being adapted to contain said pack of playing cards and a discard pile thereof.

2. Game equipment including a plurality of movable men divided into four sets each of which sets is colored differently from each of the other sets, a game-board having four separate starting and bonus areas each of such areas being colored differently from each of the other such areas to correspond with the color of a different one of said sets of men, each of such areas containing identically with each of the other such areas a pattern of squares including a starting square and a plurality of unmarked squares interspersed with a plurality of squares severally marked with selected bonus symbols, such pat tern being adapted for square-by-square movement of men therethrough, and a composite penalty and finishing area containing a plurality of closed concentric pathways, such plurality of pathways being divided radially into four separate quadrants, each such quadrant being colored differently from each of the other such quadrants to correspond with the color of one of said starting and bonus areas and one of said sets of men, each of such plurality of pathways being further divided radially into a plurality of segmental spaces, being so adapted for space-by-space movement of men therethrough, one of such spaces in each quadrant of the outermost pathway being marked for entry thereon of men corresponding in color to the color of the quadrant positioned oppositely thereto, each of said pathways bearing a selected restrictive legend different from that of each of the other pathways, said legends being progressively more restrictive from pathway to pathway proceeding inwardly, and means for indicating the extents-of the movements of said men on the board and including indicia corresponding to said bonus symbols and restrictive legends.

3. Game equipment including a board providing a plurality of separate starting and bonus areas, each such area being colored differently from each other such area and being subdivided so as to provide a plurality of squares equal in number and arrangement to the squares of each other such area, selected ones less than all of said squares in each of said areas being severally marked with selected bonus symbols so as to form a pattern of marked and unmarked squares in each such area which is identical to the pattern in each other such area, said board additionally providing a composite penalty and finishing area containing a plurality of separate closed pathways arranged concentrically with each other, each of said pathways bearing a selected restrictive legend 4 different from that of each of the other pathways, a plurality of sets of men adapted for movement upon the board each of which sets is colored differently from each of the other sets to correspond with the color of a different one of said starting and bonus are-as, and means for indicating the extents of the movements of said men on the board including indicia corresponding to the said bonus symbols and restrictive legends.

4. Game equipment for a plurality of players including a plurality of sets of movable men each set being colored differently from each other set, a pack of playing cards, and a game-board having a plurality of separate starting and bonus areas each distinguishably colored to correspond with the color of a different one of said sets of men and containing identically with each other such area a pat-tern of squares some less than all of which severally bear selected bonus symbols corresponding to selected cards in said pack of playing cards, and a composite penalty and finishing area having a plurality of closed pathways concentric with each other and distinguishably colored so that equal portions thereof correspond in color to the color of a diiferent one of said sets of men, each pathway being divided into a number of segmental spaces equal to those of each other pathway and bearing a selected restrictive legend corresponding to selected cards in said pack of playing cards and different from that of each of the other pathways, said legends being progressively more restrictive from pathway to pathway proceeding inwardly, said equipment being adapted to step-bystep movement of the several sets of men through their respective starting and bonus areas, entry thereof from their respective starting and bonus areas onto the outermost pathway of the composite penalty and finishing area in the portions thereof respectively opposite to the portions colored to correspond with the several colors of the several sets of men, step-by-step movement of the several sets of men through such pathway to the portions bearing their corresponding colors, the forcing of men of one color by men of another color inwardly from one pathway to another pathway in which movement is more difiicult, and the awarding of bonuses all as indicated by the drawing of cards from the pack by the several players in turn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 884,674 Mason Apr. 14, 1908 895,128 Trant Aug. 4, 1908 971,871 Woodrutf Oct. 4, 1910 1,030,414 Mansfield June 25, 1912 1,268,397 Sigler June 4, 1918 1,642,711 Alfonso Sept. 20, 1927 

